Insect trap and destroyer.



J. R.'CARLSON.

INSECT TRAP AND DESTROYER.

ION FILED AUG. 12. L918 Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEER I.

APPUCAT WITNESSES ATTORNEY J. H. CARLSON. INSECT TRAP'AND DESTROYER.

APPHCATION FILED AUG. 12. 1918.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEEI 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY nanm: PETERS ca. PnnTD-ufha. wAsnmm-om n. c

TED sfr TEsr JEWE'IT R. CABLSON, or wnsr SALEM, WISCONSIN.

INSECT TRAP 'ANID DESTROYER.

To all wkomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, JEwnTT It. CARLsoN, aci'tizen of the United States, residing at WestjSalem,"in the county of La Crosseand State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Insect Traps and Destroyers, of which the follow ing is a specification.

This invention relates to insect traps and more particularly to grasshopper catchers and destroyers. a H j The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient machine for trapping and killing grasshoppers.

Another ob 'ect is to provide an apparatus of. this character, the killing means of which is operated by the movement of the mach ne over the ground.

.With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the'description proceeds,the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what isclaimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings I F'gure 1 represents a plan view of one embodiment of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig.2 is a longitudinal section. thereof, and I Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.2.

In theembodiment illustrated, a receptacle 1 is shown having a flat bottom 2 at its front end adapted to slide over thev ground and having its front end upturned to facili tate its movement, said upturned end terminating in a rearwardly inclined flange 3. Arranged at the rear of this flange 3 and spaced inwardly therefrom is an upstandlng plate 4 which forms a trough between 1ts lower end and the flange into which grasshoppers or other insects maybe caught when dropping from the upper portion of the plate. This plate 4L extends "atits upper end over an upright support 6, and has itsfree rear edge 5 extended inwardly to operate to direct the insects downwardly into the con 7 tainer 1. A deflecting plate 7 extends from a point near the lower end of the upright 6 to a suitable height and is composed of highly polished material on its outer face to V Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 18, 1919 Application filedAugust 12, 1918. Serial No. 249,542.

prevent the insects from obtaining a foot hold thereon, it being designed to direct the insects which fly against it or are thrown against it downward through the mouth formed between the plate 7 and the lip 5 of plate 4 as is shown clearly in Fig. 2.

A reception chamber 8 is formed at the rear of the deflecting plate 7 which constitutes the front wall of said chamber and the rear wall of this chamber 8 shown at 9 is inclined rearwardly and upwardly terminating about midway the height of the container 1 and has bearings formed thereinto receive the journals as 10 of crushing rollers 11, the rollers 11 being positioned in a chamber 12 disposed at the rear of chamber 8 and extendlongitudinally of the machine. These rollers 11 have their rear axles or journals 13 extended through the rear wall 14 of the chamber 12, and are rotatably mounted in and. supported by upright brace bars 15 carried by V-shaped frames 16 secured to the rear wall 141 of chamber 12. The apices of these frames 16 have bearings therein to receive stub axles asv 17 which project from op osite ends of the hub of a wheel 18.

- wo of the frames 16 are used between which the wheel 18 is mounted as is shown clearly in Fig. 1. This wheel 18 carries on its opposite faces a pair of crown gears as v 19 with which mesh pinions 20 fixed to'the rear ends of the. axles 13 of the rollers 11 so that when the wheel is rotated, these rollers will be turned toward each other and operate as crushing means for the insects which find their way into chamber 12.

The upwardly and rearwardly inclined wall9 of chamber 8 isprovided with a plurality .of cleats 21 shown V-shaped in form as illustrated in Fig. 3 and which are designed to assist the insects in crawling up over the surface of the wall 9 into the chamber 12 which. is open at its front end as shown in Fig. 2, the rollers ll being j ournaled in and constituting the bottom thereof. A hinged door 22 closes theupper end of the chamber 8 andthe upper end of chamber 12 is closed by wire netting or similar :material'23 which, will permit the light to pass freely therethrough into chamber 12 ate to gather in and collect the insects in the advance of the machine.

and any suitable motive power may be emupper ends. a transparent top for the rear In th'e; operation of this improved machine, the sections after being connected at their endsare moved forwardly over the field containing the insects to be destroyed,

ploye'd. As they move forward, the insects will fly against plates 4: and 7, and those which strike plate 1 will drop into thetrough f rnied'between it and the flange 3 and will then crawl up over plate 4 and will enter through the mouth at the top thereof into the chamber 8, While those striking against the polished surface of plate 7 will drop downwardly and passunder said plate into the chamber 8 The insects entering this chamber 8 will crawl up over the wall 9, the cleats 21 facilitating their passage over this wall, and being attractedby the light which enters from the screen top 23 of chamber 12 will enter crush them to death.

1 Uopies'of this patent ma be obtained for five cents each, by-addressing the coimissiener of Patents,

said chamber crawling up on to the rollers 11, which turning under the action of the forward movement of the machine, will draw the insects in between them and will then be delivered into the removable container below the rollers, which may be taken out when desired and emptied.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred or approved form of my invention. It is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts, materials, dimensions, etc, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the claimed invention. I

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a receptacle having an entrance at its front with a deflector, said deflector extending up- The crushed insects ward some distance above said entrance and against which the insects are designed to strike and be'thrown doWn-wardlythrough said entrance, a chamber at the rear of said deflector having an opening at its bottom and a closure at its top, a light chamber ar ranged at the back of the first-mentioned chamber, for attracting insects thereinto and communicating with said first-mentioned chamber, saidlight chamber being equipped with means foi liili-ing tne-trappea insects and the rear wall of said'chainber' being inclined rearwardly provided with cleats to facilitate the passage of the insects-into thelight'chamber.

'2. In an apparatus'of the class described, a receptacle having front and rear chain bers communicating with each other at their chamber, and a light proof top for the front chamber, said front chamber having an entrance atits lower endfo'r the passage of insects therethrough, and crushing rolls in said rear chamber arranged below the communicating opening between the chambers.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a receptacle having front and rear chant bers communicating with each other at their upper ends, crushing rolls mounted the rear chamber, a removable container ar-' ranged below said rolls, an entrance at the bottom of said front clramher'with means for deflecting insects therethronglr, and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined wall at its rear side provided with cleats to fail'i tate the passagethereoverof' the trapped insects. p

4. In an apparatus of the-class descrihed, a receptacle having a receiving chamber open at its lower end to the atmosphere, a highly polished deflecting plate positioned in the path of the insects for throwing them down and directing them through said "opening, a chamber arranged in therear ofsaid reception chamber having longitudinally disposed rollers r'evolubly mounted therein with their axles projecting through the rear wall ofsaid chamber, and means for rotating said rollers. r

In testimony whereof I afiix" my signatnre in presence of Washington, D. G.

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